Thunder confident that Mitch McGary was the right pick at No. 21

12:18 PM, June 27, 2014

A video screen shows the selection of Mitch McGary of Michigan as the No. 21 overall pick in the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder during the NBA draft on June 26, 2014, in Brooklyn. / Getty Images

“He is a guy that has an incredible amount of intangibles that we look for,” Presti told Oklahoma reporters. “Number one, he brings an energy and a physicality to the floor. He is a guy that plays with a great basketball IQ, and he’s able to play a couple different positions. And I think the last thing that is really, really impressive to us, and the reason why we value him even more, is he’s an incredible teammate, just an incredible teammate. That was on display during the season, when he missed a significant amount of time. I felt like I was scouting him on the bench while he wasn’t playing. The way he engaged with his teammates, his support was unwavering, his enthusiasm was unwavering, and combine that with his skill set and intangibles, and that’s a Thunder player for us.”

But the Thunder knew enough about his background — going back to his prep-school days in New Hampshire, where Presti has roots — to believe that he would make an impact.

Further proof came to the Thunder in how McGary handled his failed NCAA marijuana test. McGary took the unusual step of admitting to the mistake and announcing that he was declaring for the draft because he faced a one-year NCAA suspension.

McGary insisted that being honest would benefit him and, apparently, he was right.

“How he handled that situation, quite frankly, he took accountability,” Presti said. “He showed that he was remorseful and he’s said publicly that he’s really learned from it. We’ve done an incredible amount of due diligence on him. We only get to pick so many, but we do the same amount of work on everybody, and if I wasn’t comfortable with the work that we’ve done the last three years, then we wouldn’t have moved forward.”

Presti said that he didn’t want to wait until the Thunder’s pick at No. 29 to see whether McGary would still be on the board.

“We try to get the players where we have them on the board,” Presti said. “When you have a player you think fits, not only your playing identity but also kind of fits into your roster-building construction as you look forward, I think he’s not only a playing addition, but also, I think, a strategic roster-building addition, as well.”

McGary has done only one extended interview since declaring for the draft, with the Free Press in mid-May, so today’s introduction in Oklahoma should lend some more insight into his private workouts and preparation over the past two months.

“What I do foresee is a lot of energy, a lot of competitiveness and a lot of spirit,” Presti said. “I would watch Michigan this year, and he’s out there before — he’s injured and he’s in a suit — but he’s out there revving his teammates up. There are a lot of guys that wouldn’t be able to do that. When he’s in the gym, I believe that the level of play is going to be raised because he cares.”

Morgan signs: Former Michigan center Jordan Morgan told the Free Press that he will play with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Las Vegas summer league. That would place him on the same roster as fellow Wolverine Glenn Robinson III, who was drafted No. 40 overall by the T’wolves.

Notes: In basketball, U-M today reportedly will host Indiana guard Eron Gordon, the younger brother of New Orleans Pelicans guard Eric Gordon and rivals.com’s No. 35 prospect in the 2016 class. … In football, according to 247sports.com, Michigan will get a visit today from Saginaw cornerback Brian Cole. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Cole is Rivals’ No. 2-ranked player in the state of Michigan in the 2015 class.